Sutton, Wallington,Wilsons Test 1 Results

[sleeplessofsurrey]

I suppose we will have an idea of how our ds did, but if you're like me I have no idea whether he will be 'eligible' given the numbers across the centres. Would also be interested to know if the maths really was easier than he though it would be, whether this will mean that the younger children will have an advantage with the scores standardised or does this make no difference. My ds is a spring bday. Does anyone know how many boys actually took it as apparently there were lots of girls at Greenshaw but also some boys there too? Roll on tomorrow. Hope they release the results at the same time.

[MrsSteptoe]

Latest from WCGS: they are hoping to get them out today but it's not definite. Not quite the same message as yesterday, then, when it was "it could be today [i.e. yesterday], but if not it'll be tomorrow [i.e. today]."

Yesterday I was quite sympathetic but today I'm really hacked off. If Wilson's can turn them around in ten days, it seems pretty shabby that WCGS need twice as long.

[Dibbleofficer]

Slightly shambolic I would have to say. Maybe the kids can use this one about their homework?

[Bijlee]

shaq - We are Session B too, come in by 11.15am

[MrsSteptoe]

Grump. Grump. Grump. Grumpitty grump.

[Ladymuck]

Arguably they also have less to mark than Wilson's given the relative length of the English paper. Though Ds finished Wilson's rather early and asked whether he could read his book...

Whilst I think that the independents do seem to take a more sympathetic view to assessing (giving marks for showing working in maths, and allowing creativity in writing), a look through the Whitgift-Trinity threads of the last few years indicates that the waiting process is no kinder.

[Bijlee]

Oh! I have given up hope for today!

[Willemdefoeismine]

I feel your pain.... :-( We were in the same situation two years ago...

Frustrating but I guess you'd rather they got the results correct than hurry and not do so!

[MrsSteptoe]

No, I noticed that, Ladymuck. Next April can't come soon enough for me.

[MrsSteptoe]

Willemdefoeismine No. Don't care. Just want results. *looks for cat to kick

[Willemdefoeismine]

I would suggest going on a restorative run/walk in the Autumnal sunshine - but without phones or other tech gadgets...the email will then come in your absence...

The problem is that a watched pot never boils...;-(.

I really, really hope that they put you out of your misery today though....

[Ladymuck]

How early can one open the wine...
I still have a paragraph on a SIF to fill in to make me sound as crucial to the local church as possible. Perhaps I should get DS to do it.

[MrsSteptoe]

I'd love to go out, but unfortunately I;ve also got an essay to submit tomorrow so I'm tied to the laptop. That's partly why the misery: I can't go out and do something else. HUHHHH.... OK, misery is relative. I have a job, I have a roof over my head, I have a healthy son. Onwards.

[Willemdefoeismine]

Must be difficult concentrating on the essay though if you are constantly checking emails....

I'd give the wine another hour, Ladymuck - just in case you are comatose when the email arrives!

[Ladymuck]

Wine worked though.
586 out 714 who sat passed the test.
Whilst commiserations are due to the 128 who now have to change their CAFs, given that there are only 120 places available, I'd be intrigued to know how much impact this has had on the Round 1 ranking?! This seems to have been a fairly expensive exercise.

[Willemdefoeismine]

So results are out? Good news I hope to everyone...

Do you actually think that this two tier system has worked - one can't help but feel very sorry for the DCs who got thro' the first round but not the second??? I would say more stressful than the 'old' system really?

At least you can all get on with the CAF forms - the stakes might be upped for the SGS second round exam though, don't you think?

[Ladymuck]

Willemdefoeismine, it takes more than an hour to get me comatose.
MrsSteptoe, perhaps we should arrange the South London secondary admissions "celebration" for April...As I've pointed out to ds, whatever happens he will be going to school next year!

[shaq]

hurrah!

Going to give the good news to my son now!

[MrsSteptoe]

Predictably... no email here. Now I am, of course, thinking that only the success emails have gone out. fffffffffffffffffff.

Ladymuck, yes we should - but this is rather like labour. Everyone tells you that at the end you'll have a wonderful baby, but actually you do wonder, contracting like a bastard, why on earth you started this whole blasted process.

[MrsSteptoe]

willemdefoeismine not sure if passing the first round has made it worse on DS. If they didn't have preselection, then he'd still have had to sit three exams, and face three fails (which I'm referring to as "not getting through" when I talk to DS). So from my position of one failure and, I fear, one to come at some point later this afternoon, I'd say - there's not a lot in it. But at least we can say to him that he got in the top 35% of the 2,300 preselection candidates.

[Ladymuck]

Sorry - cross posts.
I think what the new system did do, is firstly encourage more "average" pupils to attempt it than ever before, on a "nothing to lose" strategy, and secondly the possibility of losing 3 schools on 1 day meant that the more seasoned boys went for multiple entries which has certainly increased the exam load and stress I would guess.

It may also mean that there is more chopping and changing in March and April. I know one person who lives in easy reach of Wilsons, but now prefers Judd despite the fact it is 30 miles further away! With so little time between results and CAF deadline, parents may be swung by an unexpected result, but then realise once offers are out and they know their waiting list options, that a different school becomes their first choice. I know that everyone is meant to decide their preferences without considering how likely their chances are, but the reality is some people will be swayed by a "likely" letter from St Olves or a 423 score from Kent.

[Dibbleofficer]

Fingers crossed for you willemdefoe, we got a good result , but it does not narrow it much

My Maths say 380 approx Grammar places in sutton , Tiffins x number of places - to far away didn't apply. ?

So they have to pass around 500 , then there are St Os , Kent and Indie public schools who will take some candidates

This jigsaw is very complex , am I way off beam with my sums?....


Now wine o clock.....gggggg

[shaq]

MrsSteptoe, don't give up hope just yet, maybe it's done in batches based on surnames, or on birthdate (My son is a November-born, and an 'A' surname)?

This is Wally's, anything is possible!

[Dibbleofficer]

Crossed post with Ladyluck

[Dibbleofficer]

Sorry meant good luck Steptoe

[Ladymuck]

Hope that it is good news MrsSteptoe. Dibble, there are 420 Sutton grammar places for boys this year (Wilsons has gone to 180 and 120 at each of the others). But yes, it is all one vast game of musical chairs. There are fewer than 1,000 year 6 boys living in the London Borough of Sutton, which puts a certain perspective on the whole thing!